University of Tennessee Athletics
SEC Leads Nation in Verizon Academic All-America Selections
July 25, 2003 | Men's Swimming & Diving
July 25, 2003
The Southeastern Conference had 17 student-athletes named first-team Verizon Academic All-America for the 2002-03 academic year, the most by any conference in the nation. In addition, the SEC had 13 second-team selections and five third-team winners, bringing the league's total to 25 honorees.
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) selects Verizon Academic All-America teams in 12 programs: football, women's volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's track and field/cross country, women's track and field/cross country, men's at-large and women's at-large. A first team, second team and third team are selected in both the University (Division I and I-AA) and College (Division II, III and NAIA) divisions. Football consists of just first and second teams.
The SEC, however, does not sponsor men's soccer as a conference sport.
The conference rankings were based on a scaled value system which gives each conference three points for a first-team selection, two points for a second-team pick and one-point for each athlete on a third team.
The SEC led the nation with 82 points, while the Big Ten was second with 76. The Big 12 earned 65 points for third and the Big East was fourth with 53 points. The Pac-10 rounded out the top-five with 48 points.
Simidele Adeagbo, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country, Kentucky Matt Bonner, Men's Basketball, Florida Michael Burton, Men's Swimming & Diving, Tennessee Andreina Byrd, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country, Arkansas Corrin Drakulich, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country, Georgia Cesar Garcia, Men's Swimming & Diving, Auburn Hunter Hillenmeyer, Football, Vanderbilt Stephanie Kite, Gymnastics, Alabama Kara Lawson, Women's Basketball, Tennessee Kacey Montgomery, Women's Crew, Tennessee Rodney Reed, Football, LSU Brian Rohrer, Men's Track & Field/Cross Country, Alabama Kristin Sterner, Gymnastics, Alabama Jon Stinchcomb, Football, Georgia Zach Wilcox, Men's Swimming & Diving, Florida Libby Windell, Women's Volleyball, Arkansas Kim Zarzour, Women's Soccer, Alabama
